oLate opening Like other major cities. Glasgow has many Asian grocers open all hours. Several shops on Gt Western Rd near Byres Rd, such as Goodies. keep especially long hours — till 2 or 3 am - but charge a little more because of this.
Foreign food has always been popular in Glasgow and its traditional home is Gibson St. Here can be found the acclaimed Shish Mahal as well as the criminally under-rated Shalimar. An old Gibson St favourite. the Koh lNoor has moved to North St and has recently started a Monday night. eat as much as you want buffet at £8.50 perhead.
Also in Gibson St are the Boston Pizza Parlour and the Spaghetti Factory, both worth a visit, as is Joe's Garage on the corner of Gibson St and Bank St. Chinese food is not quite as popular in Glasgow as Indian, but the Loon Fung (Sauchiehall St). the Cantonese Peking Inn on the corner of Bath Street and Hope Street and the tiny Sun in Byres Road are among the best.
If a snack is what you really fancy. the Grosvenor in Ashton Lane is the best cafe in Glasgow; good food. good service, good prices. It is justifiably popular. but worth queuing for. Nearby are the French Cafe Dominique (Mews Arcade) and the (in)famous University Cafe on Byres Rd. Back in Gibson St is the tasty little Cafe Sannino, hidden at the back of the delicatessen.
City centre cafes include Equi's (Sauchiehall St), cheap and relatively undiscovered. Further up the road are the Willow Tea Rooms, notable chiefly for the genuine Mackintosh decor. The expensive but atmospheric Cafe Gondolfi in Albion St has been largely deserted by the trendies in favour ofthe Warehouse Cafe above the shop of the same name in Glassford St. Lastly, a mention to Olivers (Union St) for its wonderful bacon rolls.
NIGHTLIFE/ PUBS
Nightlife in Glasgow is without equal in Scotland. Whatever one‘s personal taste, there is somewhere in Glasgow to cater for it, from the lowest, sawdust on the floor pub to the most upmarket bar/diner. This contrast extends to prices: in Glasgow you definitely get what you pay for. In general, West End pubs are less overtly trendy than those in the city centre and. by some quirk of the licensing laws. close an hour earlier. at 11 pm. Both the Cul-de-Sac and Ubiquitious Chip in Ashton Lane are popular with students. The former is more of a city centre bar and younger and trendier than the more intellectual Chip. Outfront in Byres Rd is a new addition to the pub scene. Bonhams. Fairly
expensive. it is also fussy about its
clientele. Not so Tennants across the road; a former gay bar, it is much frequented by sociology students. The Exchequer(Dumbarton Rd) has been recently renovated in a vaguely English style. Liable to burst at weekends. it serves a mean Fosters at reasonable prices. Dukes (Dumbarton Rd) and Chequers (Argyle St) are both definitely visitable. The Scaramouche in Elderslie St would be wildly busy were it not so hidden — island bar. leather seats and friendly bar staff. For real ale fans. The Overflow (Old Dumbarton Rd) and Bon Accord will be vital ports ofcall.
Once across the magical boundary of the M8 at Charing Cross, pubs are Open until midnight. which makes it a very busy stretch of road about 11.15. Nico's (Sauchiehall St) and Cafe Noir (Queen St) are both. ostensibly, French style brasseries. of which Nico‘s is the older. trendier and busier. The Rock Garden used to be where Glasgow‘s bright young things went of an evening, but it has declined in popularity in recent years. FLxx in Miller St is a fairly new bar. This ambitiously converted warehouse has its critics, but is always busy and is certainly one of Glasgow’s more unusual bars. The most unusual bar in the city is Alice’s Underground (Cambridge St). A 15 foot high piano is just one of the features of the most esoteric pub in Britain. Fouquet's in Renfield Street is somewhat less extravagant, but equally upmarket. The best clothes are a must ifyou hope to get into either. Ofthe others, The Maltman (Renfield St) is Glasgow‘s no smoking bar, Griffin (Bath St) is cheap and full of art students and The Nile and Smiths (both West Nile Street) are worth a visit, as are Hurricanes (W. Regent St) and Dexys (St Enoch Sq).
INTRODUCTION
Drop the word “Edinburgh” into a conversation. and almost everyone present will conjure up the same mental images. First. a picture postcard view of Princes Street from the castle esplanade. the top of the Mound. or Calton Hill. perhaps followed by another image of the floodlit castle, seen from Princes Street. And. like the ultimate in word association. from ‘Edinburgh‘ comes ‘Morningside‘. all pan-loaf accents with fur coats and no knickers. Such images ofEdinburgh come from a marketing man‘s ideal picture of the city centre. and from a cultural stereotype so old as to be almost apocryphal.
Even given the existence of the city centre landmarks and petit bourgeoisie, this is still a remarkably limited impression of the city —
. partly a result of the city's layout,
with many of its more scenic aspects close to the centre. while the less aesthetic areas are kept well out of
' the way. Pilton and Muirhouse
straddle no main roads. and are well away from any tourist attractions. The grand architectural design of the New Town does not include the aluminium shutters of
Craigmillar.
In recent times. however. the district council has embarked upon projects to improve the standards of housing and amenities within these.
and other, council estates. Many of these plans are in abeyance for want
: ofcentral government funding. i however.
Edinburgh is most definitely two
i cities — the Festival city of grand I design and fine art; and the one
which most people actually live in. They may yet be combined. to the great benefit ofall concerned.
STUDENTS
Edinburgh‘s centres of higher education have a combined roll of almost 50.000. accounting for a fair percentage of the city‘s overall resident population ofjust over half a million. The various institutions — Edinburgh University, Heriot-Watt University, Napier College. Moray House Teacher Training College. Edinburgh College ofA rt. et al. - attract students from a wide variety ofsocial and geographical backgrounds. and it is this opportunity to mix which is one of the positive aspects of Edinburgh student life.
Students are widely distributed throughout the city. although the main centres of the student population are in Marchmont. Bruntsfield. and Newington. The quiet residential Marchmont contrasts with the bustle ofClerk Street. Newington‘s main shopping centre. but there is nothing which earmarks these areas as ‘student’. other than the high concentration of furnished flats.
TRANSPORT
The best way to get around Edinburgh is by Lothian Regional Transport bus. The city is rightly proud of its bus service. and there cannot be many to better it.
Each route is divided into ‘fare stages‘. and the cost ofyour journey depends on how many stages it covers. Fares range from 15p to 45p. and the exact fare is needed. If you are going to be a regular traveller. it is better to invest in a season ticket. A ‘scholars’ Ridacard‘ can be purchased to cover each academic term (prices vary according to institution and length ofterm). and allows unlimited travel on all LRT services. except the one to the airport. Available from LRT offices. 14 Queen Street (556 4494). and North Bridge (beside the North British Hotel). You will need a colour passport photo.
Normal services run from some ungodly hour in the morning until around 1 1.30pm, after which (Monday to Friday). a range of hourly night bus services run from the city centre (Waverley Bridge) to the suburbs, with a flat fare of 75 pence.
Another extremely popular mode of transport is the bicycle. No dreaming spires to gaze at. but there are several cycle lanes. e.g. at the foot of the Mound. and across the Meadows. Be careful. however. as second only to cycling in popularity is cycle theft. Make sure yours is properly secured.
The places in Edinburgh where you can let someone else worry about timing the courses and doing the washing up are many and varied. Everything from the small intimate J
The List 4-17 October 45